Often when a patient has trouble breathing by himself, it is necessary to use a ventilator. This may incorporate mechanical or forced inhalation, and generally also includes an endotracheal tube extending through the patient's mouth and into his trachea. A wye connector connects the endotracheal tube with the ventilator and also with an exhalation valve.
Some patients under ventilatory support or coming out of anesthesia tend to have bronchospasms and need a bronchodilator. In the past, it has generally been necessary to open the ventilator circuit in order to introduce a bronchodilator. This takes time, and frequently there is a crisis condition where very little time is available for administrating a bronchodilator. It is known that an elongated cylindrical chamber between a metered dose inhaler or injector materially improves misting of the medication, see for example Nowacki and Brisson U.S. Pat. No. 4,470,412. Herefore it has been necessary to open the ventilating circuit in order to utilize such a device.